Page 30 of Tangling Hearts

Chapter Nineteen

Brendan

Annie: So fucking beautiful, I can’t share her anymore. Besides: I just got half-hard.

Istand up. “Excuse me, guys. We have to go.”

Everyone reacts to the abruptness; some surprised, some not, depending on who you look at. “What? No!” “Oh, you’re probably tired.” “I was thinking of calling it a night, too.” “We were just getting started!” And Manny and his cousin look over.

Annie and I stand up. “It’s not because I’m tired. I want to get this one alone.” I look to see her reaction and am gratified by a pink flush growing on her cheeks. Her girlfriends make funny noises and Mark walks back in, in time to hear me, and just smirks at me, the asshole. Dan grabs his wife to dip her in an impromptu kiss, making everyone whoop and holler, even Manny. His cousin just smiles. I don’t think he’s said one word since he got here. My kind of guy.

I shake Dan’s hand. “Sweep her off her feet every chance you get, Dan.”

Mark’s eyebrows go up. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Shut it.” I hit his shoulder. “You don’t get a handshake, just for that.”

“What about a hug?” His huge wingspan spreads out, but I take Annie’s hand and move around him, telling him he’s a dick, which as usual garners no argument from him.

Bobbi calls after us, “You didn’t pay for the last round, B-man!”

“Mark’ll get it for me.” I lock eyes with Mark over my shoulder. “Won’t you, Mark?”

“You suck!”

“You wish!” I make my way through the crowd with my hand out in front of my chest for protection against accidental bumps; Annie happily in tow. As soon as we step outside, she looks at the NOPE sign. “They should change that sign to ‘YEP.’”

“Yeah, it’s great that he’s going to help you. Bobby knows a lot of people.”

She stops walking and tugs on my hand. “He’s going to help me because of you. What have I done to deserve this?”

She looks like she’s really asking, so I take her chin in my hand. “Other than save my life?”

“I was only following your example. Now would you please do me a favor?”

“What’s that, Freckles?”

She smiles and receives a quick kiss, waiting to say, “Please stop being so fucking perfect.”

“No can do.” I slip my left hand into her hair, just above her ear, and pull her to me for a longer, heated kiss, her hands resting on my pectoral muscles to keep a safe distance. I whisper against her lips, “I wish there didn’t have to be any distance between us. I want to feel your breasts crushed against me.”

Her eyelashes are half-mast and her lips lightly touch mine as she speaks in a volume so quiet only I can hear it. “I want that, too. I can’t wait.”

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